February 25, 2005
For Immediate Release
For More Information Contact:
Heather Barnum
(801) 863-7149
barnumhe@uvsc.edu
Written by:
Celeste Christiansen
(801) 863-8504
UVSC Herbarium Awarded National Science Foundation Grant
The Utah Valley State College Herbarium received a $110,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to create a virtual herbarium that would make the Herbarium’s 10,000 plant specimens available online for worldwide access.
The UVSC Virtual Herbarium is a three-year project where a high-resolution photograph of each dried plant specimen with a link to all collection information will be put online for students, researchers and anyone interested in Utah plants.
“These grants are highly competitive and receiving one raises the stature of the Herbarium,” said Dr. James Harris, Herbarium co-director. “With this grant, valuable scientific records will be available to anyone, anytime, anywhere.”
In 1987, UVSC established the Herbarium as a teaching facility. The specimens are used as teaching and research tools. Specimens can provide researchers with important information such as geographic distribution and genetics.
The Herbarium collections include vascular plants, lichens, a fruit and cone collection, a woody plant collection, grasses collection and a fossil plant collection.
For more information on the UVSC Herbarium and the NSF grant, please contact James Harris at (801) 863-8623.
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